Method and apparatus for channel selection in ear-to-ear communication in hearing devices

Abstract

A pair of binaural hearing devices can dynamically assess and select a channel from a plurality of frequency channels suitable for ear-to-ear communication with each other. In various embodiments, the hearing aids can each initiate a channel assessment by calibrating a channel quality threshold and transmitting a packet including the channel quality threshold to the other hearing aid. The other hearing aid can then receive the packet, measure the quality parameter on the packet, and compare the measured value of the quality parameter to the received channel quality threshold to determine whether the channel is suitable for the ear-to-ear communication.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A hearing system configured to be worn by a wearer having first and second ears, comprising:
 first and second hearing devices configured to perform wireless communication with each other using a plurality of channels when the first hearing device is worn in or about the first ear and the second hearing devices is worn in or about the second ear, the first and second hearing devices each including:
 a communication circuit configured to receive a signal transmitted from the other hearing device of the first and second hearing devices using a specified channel selected from the plurality of channels, the signal carrying a packet including a channel quality threshold being a minimum value of a quality parameter determined by the other hearing device for the specified channel; and 
 a control circuit including a communication controller configured to measure the quality parameter for the specified channel, calibrate another channel quality threshold for the specified channel for transmitting to the other hearing device, and determine whether the specified channel is useable based on the measured value of the quality parameter and the channel quality threshold included in the received packet. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The hearing system of  claim 1 , wherein the quality parameter comprises a signal to noise ratio (SNR), and the communication controller comprises a quality monitor configured to determine the SNR. 
     
     
       3. The hearing system of  claim 2 , wherein the quality monitor is configured to measure a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the specified channel and determine the SNR based on measurements of the RSSI. 
     
     
       4. The hearing system of  claim 3 , wherein the quality monitor is configured to measure a value of the RSSI on the received signal (RSSI value), to measure a value of the RSSI when no signal is transmitted via the specified channel (RSSIQ value), and to calculate the SNR by subtracting the measured RSSIQ value from the measured RSSI value (RSSI−RSSIQ value). 
     
     
       5. The hearing system of  claim 4 , wherein the quality monitor is configured to measure the RSSI value by making a plurality of measurements of the RSSI on the packet and measure the RSSIQ value by making another plurality of measurements of the RSSI when no signal is transmitted via the specified channel. 
     
     
       6. The hearing system of  claim 2 , wherein the communication controller comprises a threshold calibrator configured to update the channel quality threshold dynamically and to initiate the determination of whether the specified channel is useable in response to a change in the channel quality threshold. 
     
     
       7. The hearing system of  claim 6 , wherein the communication controller comprises a channel analyzer configured to select another channel from the plurality of channels to be the specified channel in response to the measured value of the quality parameter falling below the channel quality threshold included in the received packet. 
     
     
       8. The hearing system of  claim 7 , wherein the channel analyzer is configured to select another channel randomly from the plurality of channels to be the specified channel in response to the measured value of the quality parameter falling below the channel quality threshold included in the received packet. 
     
     
       9. The hearing system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second hearing devices comprise a pair of binaural hearing aids. 
     
     
       10. The hearing system of  claim 9 , wherein the binaural hearing aids each further comprise a microphone and a receiver, the microphone configured to receive an input sound and produce a microphone signal representative of the sound, the receiver configured to produce a sound using an output signal and transmit the sound to one of the first and second ears, and wherein the control circuit further comprises an audio processor configured to produce the output signal by processing the microphone signal and the signal received from the other hearing aid of the binaural hearing aids. 
     
     
       11. A method for wireless communication between a first hearing device worn in or about a first ear of a wearer and a second hearing device worn in or about a second ear of the wearer, comprising:
 transmitting signals via a specified channel selected from a plurality of channels of a wireless communication link between the first hearing device and the second hearing device; 
 calibrating a first channel quality threshold for the specified channel using the first hearing device, the first channel quality threshold being a minimum value of a quality parameter for the specified channel as determined by the first hearing device; 
 transmitting a first packet of the signals from the first hearing device to the second hearing device, the first packet including the calibrated first channel quality threshold; 
 measuring the quality parameter for the specified channel using the second hearing device; and 
 determining whether the specified channel is suitable for the wireless communication based on the value of the quality parameter measured by the second hearing device and the first channel quality threshold. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising selecting another channel from the plurality of channels to be the specified channel in response to the value of the quality parameter measured by the second hearing device falling below the first channel quality threshold. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 calibrating a second channel quality threshold for the specified channel using the second hearing device, the second channel quality threshold being a minimum value of the quality parameter for the specified channel as determined by the second hearing device; 
 transmitting a second packet of the signals from the second hearing device to the first hearing device, the second packet including the calibrated second channel quality threshold; 
 measuring the quality parameter for the specified channel using the first hearing device; and 
 determining whether the specified channel is suitable for the wireless communication based on the value of the quality parameter measured by the first hearing device and the second channel quality threshold. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising selecting another channel from the plurality of channels to be the specified channel in response to the value of the quality parameter measured by the first hearing device falling below the second channel quality threshold. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein selecting another channel from the plurality of channels to be the specified channel comprises selecting another channel from the plurality of channels randomly. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein selecting another channel from the plurality of channels to be the specified channel comprises selecting another channel from the plurality of channels according to a predetermined order. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the quality parameter comprises a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein measuring the quality parameter for the specified channel comprises measuring values of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the specified channel. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein measuring the quality parameter for the specified channel using the second hearing device comprises:
 measuring a value of the RSSI on the received first packet (first RSSI value); 
 measuring a value of the RSSI when no signal is transmitted via the specified channel (first RSSIQ value); and 
 calculating the SNR by subtracting the measured first RSSIQ value from the measured first RSSI value, 
 
       and measuring the quality parameter for the specified channel using the first hearing device comprises:
 measuring a value of the RSSI on the received second packet (second RSSI value); 
 measuring a value of the RSSI when no signal is transmitted via the specified channel (second RSSIQ value); and 
 calculating the SNR by subtracting the measured second RSSIQ value from the measured second RSSI value. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein measuring the first RSSI value comprises making a plurality of measurements of the RSSI on the first packet received by the second hearing device, and measuring the second RSSI value comprises making a plurality of measurements of the RSSI on the second packet received by the first hearing device.